Expand+3 years

Attendance is largley studio based, four days per week with 15 hours staff contact time and 35 hours self directed study per week.

Animation is based on a modular structure with four modules in each year of study. You are encouraged to ...

Hide-3 years

Attendance is largley studio based, four days per week with 15 hours staff contact time and 35 hours self directed study per week.

Animation is based on a modular structure with four modules in each year of study. You are encouraged to take an optional placement year between years two and three. Over the duration of the course you will develop your knowledge of the creative, technical, theoretical and historical contexts which have led the evolution of a dynamic and innovative animation industry.

Expand+General Entrance Requirements

The General Entrance Requirements identify the minimum qualifications needed for application to a course at Ulster University.

They set out the range of the most commonly offered acceptable qualifications but do no...

Hide-General Entrance Requirements

The General Entrance Requirements identify the minimum qualifications needed for application to a course at Ulster University.

They set out the range of the most commonly offered acceptable qualifications but do not identify where particular subjects are needed for specific courses, nor do they represent the actual offer standard or ‘asking grades’, which are normally higher than the minimum threshold standard of a pass grade.

This is particularly the case for full-time study where the offer grades are affected by the availability of places on the course and the level of demand.

The summary below refers to honours degrees. In practice, with regard to A levels, no full-time honours degree will accept fewer than three A level subjects unless presented in combination with other Level 3 qualifications deemed acceptable by the University. The Equivalence of Qualifications table lists the most commonly accepted qualifications and equivalent asking grades.

You should refer to the online prospectus for specific entry requirements to individual courses.

Entry requirements for part-time courses vary. Some have identical entry requirements to the full-time version of the same course, whilst others will vary from those of the full-time version.

It is important to refer to the online prospectus and/or to contact the course team before making an application for study.

To be eligible to apply you must;

1.Provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE English Language grades A-C/ 4-9 or equivalent); and

2.Provide evidence of passes in five subjects, two of which must be at A level (grades A-E) and three at GCSE level* (grades A-C/4-9);

3.Provide evidence of passes in four subjects, three of which must be at A level (grades A-E) and one at GCSE level* (grades A- C/4-9); or

4.Provide evidence of an approved qualification at an equivalent level such as a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma or Access to Higher Education qualification or equivalent**; or

5.Provide evidence, for a process of formal accreditation by the University, of learning you have gained through work or other experience.

* GCSE English Language (grades A-C/4-9) may be used as part of the GCSE requirement.

** Please refer to the Equivalence of Qualifications table for the most common alternative Level 3 qualifications.

Note: Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level subjects, are regarded as 40% of one GCE A level, provided that your profile also contains two GCE A levels or equivalent.

Undergraduate courses

To be eligible to apply for an undergraduate degree or honours degree course, you must;
◦meet the General Entrance Requirements, and
◦meet any additional requirements for your chosen course as outlined in the online prospectus.

Alternative qualifications for undergraduate programmes

Ulster University will consider the following alternative qualifications for entry to an undergraduate degree or honours degree course:

◦two A levels (grades A-E) and three passes at GCSE (grades A-C/4-9) or an Intermediate GNVQ or two Double Award Vocational GCSEs
◦BTEC National qualifications awarded by the Edexcel Foundation
◦Cambridge International Pre-U Diploma
◦Canbridge Technicals
◦OCR National qualifications
◦Highers or Advanced Highers of the Scottish Qualifications Authority
◦European, International or Welsh Baccalaureate
◦Irish Leaving Certificate at higher level with passes in four approved subjects at grade D/H6
◦satisfactory completion of an approved Access programme
◦any foundation degree awarded by Ulster University
◦for entry to Art and Design degree programmes, satisfactory completion of a full-time foundation programme in Art and Design, of not less than one academic year in duration.

No subject may be counted at more than one level except in the case of the A level or Applied A level combined with the Intermediate GNVQ. Qualifications not listed will be considered on merit.

You must also meet the additional requirements described in the prospectus entry for your chosen course.

A level

The A Level requirement for this course is BCC - BBB.

Applicants can satisfy the requirement for one of the A level grades (or equivalent) by substituting a combination of alternative qualifications recognised by the University.

BTEC

The BTEC Extended Diploma requirement for this course is based on an overall BTEC award profile of DMM - DDM to include 15 merits.

Irish Leaving Certificate

The Irish Leaving Certificate requirement for this course is H3, H3, H3, H4, H4 – H3, H3, H3, H3, H3 and English Language at grade O4 or above.

Scottish Highers

The Scottish Highers requirement for this course is CCCCC - BBBCC.

Scottish Advanced Highers

The Scottish Advanced Highers requirement for this course is CDD - CCC.

International Baccalaureate

Overall International Baccalaureate profile minimum 24 points (12 at higher level).

Access to Higher Education (HE)

Successful completion of Access Course with an average of between 65% - 70%.

GCSE

GCSE Profile to include English Language at minimum grade C.

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Additional Entry Requirements

Submission of a satisfactory portfolio.

We look at the portfolio as a body of work that can take many forms including but not limited to your digital images, 3D files, games development and movies. What we are looking for are examples of your work that best demonstrate your suitability to the field of animation. We see many great examples of finished work and we want to see more, but we are really interested in the way you got there, your creative processes, sketchbooks and works in progress. Put your best work first.

While a formal qualification in Art & Design will not be required, an interest in art and design in general will be expected. Applicants will be interviewed prior to entry. For Animation the portfolio requirement is somewhat different to other Art & Design subjects. Many of our applicants and students are working with a wide range of 2D & 3D digital media, traditional media, technical design and computer sciences.

Expand+Animation has become in integral part of the film, television, games and design industries – from Jurassic Park to Avatar, Angry Birds to Call of Duty, Xbox to mobile. The field of animation has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years. With ...

Hide-Animation has become in integral part of the film, television, games and design industries – from Jurassic Park to Avatar, Angry Birds to Call of Duty, Xbox to mobile. The field of animation has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years. With new distribution methods and technologies, your work will have many paths to reach a worldwide audience.

During the course you will study drawing, the principles of animation and design, storytelling and narrative, design and the history, practice and theory of screen production. You will gain an understanding of creative and technical process using industry standard software in order to create interactive designs and computer animations.

As animation is a highly collaborative environment you will learn the principles and practices through teamwork, while developing your individual professional practice. The course enables students to enter the industry of a range of exciting and rapidly evolving platforms as well as facilitating numerous opportunities for employment in a rapidly growing area at an international level.

This course aims to provide students with specialist knowledge and skills necessary to develop and adapt their chosen career in the diverse creative practices associated with animation. The course aims to contribute, through the education of its students as adaptive and resilient designers, writers and thinkers, to the local, national and international practice of design in its current and future forms.

About this course

BDes Hons Animation aims to provide students with specialist knowledge and skills necessary to develop and adapt their chosen career in the diverse creative practices associated with interactive design and animation. The course aims to contribute, through the education of its students as adaptive and resilient designers, writers and thinkers, to the local, national and international practice of design in its current and future forms

The aims of the course aims are to:

◦ Enable students to acquire a high degree of knowledge, understanding and experience through the practice of animation; and to acquire high level of practical, conceptual and aesthetic skills and the critical means to integrate them in design problem-solving;

◦ Enable students to pursue a high level of intellectual enquiry, independence and critical awareness through academic conventions and through the creative practice of animation;

◦ Offer the opportunity to work collaboratively, on live projects, industry generated initiative and competitions, in order to gain essential work based learning experience and develop the transferable skills essential to succeed in the creative industries;

◦ Enable students to acquire experiences, skills and knowledge appropriate to the professional contexts of design interaction and animation;

For students on the Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP) International (DPP) programme:

◦ Enhance an understanding of professional Practice;
◦ Develop personal and professional skills;

For students on the Diploma in International Academic Studies (DIAS) programme:

◦ Enhance an understanding of another cultural educational environment;

◦ Develop self-reliance and independence.

Expand+Structure & content

Students work both collaboratively and individually in an immersive studio environment on a wide range of animation based projects. Students will have the opportunity to develop their own specialist skills or study a range of a...

Hide-Structure & content

Students work both collaboratively and individually in an immersive studio environment on a wide range of animation based projects. Students will have the opportunity to develop their own specialist skills or study a range of areas to develop a wider understanding of the subject.

First year provides students with the opportunity to work together on a range of projects designed to introduce them to the broad range of artistic and technical opportunities within the subject area. Creative problem solving and visual thinking are central in year one where students develop new world concepts, which become fertile ground for design thinking and creative experimentation. Students develop the skills and thinking to create 3D computer animated films and interactive designs using the latest industry standard technologies.

Second year will cultivate an environment where each student can experience a wide range of facets within the spectrum of animation. Greater emphasis will be placed on the individual’s role within teamwork, mirroring the collaborative nature of the digital creative industries. Students are encouraged to become increasingly aware of their strengths and how they align to roles and opportunities within industry.

After successful completion of Year 2 students can opt to undertake a placement year, leading to the award of a Diploma in Professional Practice or Diploma in International Academic Studies. The DPP is generally European-based and studio orientated. The DIAS allows for further study at an institution in either Europe or in the USA, under the Erasmus scheme, the Study USA scheme or the Year abroad scheme. You will obtain the appropriate award in addition to your degree's classification on successful completion of your Final Year. Many students avail of this exciting and valuable opportunity, and see a great benefit when they return to study in their Final year.

The final year focuses on students building a body of work in preparation for entry to the professional arena - this usually takes form through the development of a range of skills on both individual and group projects. Opportunities exist to embrace group projects to develop innovative outcomes with potential for commercialisation beyond the course through the Masters pathways on offer, which potentially integrate with the undergraduate programme.

The final year also engages students with a range of industry led projects and international competitions designed to showcase their abilities on a world stage amongst their peers. These include D&AD Young Blood; YCN (Young Creatives Network); ISTD (International Society of Typographic Designers) and other competitions as appropriate.

Expand+Job roles

Graduates from this course are employed in many different roles. Here are some examples:
◦Character Animator
◦Concept Artist
◦Modeller
◦Storyboard Artist
◦Technical Director
◦Visual FX Artist

...

Hide-Job roles

Graduates from this course are employed in many different roles. Here are some examples:
◦Character Animator
◦Concept Artist
◦Modeller
◦Storyboard Artist
◦Technical Director
◦Visual FX Artist

Career options

Graduates with skills in computer animation have many well-paid career opportunities available to them. Students have been working on projects such as VFX on "Game of Thrones" for HBO and concept art for 16 South here in Belfast as well as many other companies in both animation production and video games.

Work placement / study abroad

Students are strongly encouraged to undertake an optional work placement and/or take advantage of the excellent study abroad programe leading to the award of a Diploma in Professional Practice or Diploma in International Academic Studies. The DPP is generally European-based and studio orientated. The DIAS allows for further study at an institution in either Europe or in the USA, under the Erasmus scheme, the Study USA scheme or the Year abroad scheme. You will obtain the appropriate award in addition to your degree's classification on successful completion of your Final Year.